Together like promised
by Smart Angel
Summary: I promised you I would come back, didn't I? So why are you so surprised to see me? I would never leave you alone forever. GilXOz, AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts. That's a no brainer, considering if I owned then… Well, let's say Oz's sun would be a certain raven haired golden eye guy… Who takes his gloves off using his teeth…**

**This fanfic is dedicated to my dear friend Total Alias, who for some unknown reason decided to write a fanfic with me! She is an amazing writer, and you should really check out her work!**

"_Stay here Gil!" the voice yelled, and soon Gilbert found himself being pushed into a closet._

"_B-But Young Master Oz! W-What about you and…"_

"_Don't worry about it!" the blonde boy then started to close the doors, looking over his shoulder with worry. He then turned his head towards Gilbert, and gave one last smile "Don't worry, everything will be okay! I promise to come back to get you!"_

_And the doors were closed. Gilbert tried to open the door while his hard hammered against his chest and his sweaty hands tried to find a way to open the locked doors. No more than five minutes passed and he could hear the door of the room being kicked open, screams and cusses being said by numerous people as he heard his young Master trying to escape._

_Just as quickly as it happened, the sounds went away, and Gilbert was left alone in that closet, realizing the terrible truth: His Best Friend was gone. _

"Tadaima." A voice called coming from the door. Ada, who had a hat in her hands looked up and smiles as the raven haired man entered the room, leaving his long heavy coat behind.

"Okaeri nasai Gil!" Ada said, smiling "Is it no snowing today?"

"No." the man said, walking slowly towards the young girl. Ada frowned at that. Usually when Gil was in a mood like that he either saw Xerxes Break or his mission was unsuccessful. Considering the 24 year old man just returned from a month long trip, most likely it was the latter.

She hated seeing Gil like that… Maybe if she gave him the hat he would…

"GIL!" a voice called from up the stairs. Both turned their heads only to find Jack, in his extravagant clothes running down towards him "You're home!" then he frowned "According to my letter you would only be here in a few days… Did something happen?"

"No, and that is the problem!" Gil said, as he sat down at the dining table, resting his head on his hands rather frustrated. "I couldn't find anything! Not even one clue!"

The two Vessalius siblings exchanged worried looks. Ada, still holding on to the hat, nudged her head towards Gil, giving a meaningful look to her older brother.

Jack sighed and continued to go downstairs, this time slowly. A sad smile graced his lips as he sat down by the raven's side, one arm around his shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Come on, Gil, don't be like that." He says, his voice calming, and losing the playful tone it had until that moment "He wouldn't like to see you so sad." The raven gave no response. "I know you want to find them, and we do as well. Nothing would be more satisfying to us than finally avenging my twin's death and giving him a proper burial." Again, he gave no response, but Jack knew he was listening "But it's been over 10 years since Oz died and… And honestly, they could have done many things to cover their tracks. So don't be so hard on yourself. I know my brother would hate to know you are so upset because of him."

There was a long silence, and Jack began to wonder if his words had truly reached his friend or if they had just been ignored, like many times before.

But as he was about to stand up, sighing in defeat, Gil murmured something under his breath. The siblings looked at each other before turning to Gil again, Ada asking to repeat himself once more.

"It is my fault…" he said "What happened to Master Oz."

Ada looked down, and Jack shook his head.

"If I had insisted10 years ago for him to hide with me… Then maybe… Maybe…"

"I think we gone over that already." Jack said, standing up and running his fingers through his hair in frustration "It's not your fault, Gil. You know why Oz did that. They were after us, not you. If he had been with you then…"

"Then both of you would be dead." Ada said, looking down, her grip in the hat growing stronger "They were after us. Oz-nii knew they would continue to search the house until they found all four of us… But to them it didn't matter if a servant survived or not, they just wanted the Royal Family."

"They would only kill those who got in their way." Jack said, a bitter smile appearing in his lips "Oz knew that, so he did his best to make sure you survived, Gil."

"I would have gladly lost my life to save Oz's!" Gil said, turning to look at Jack.

"And so would have I." Jack shook his head, his bitter smiling turning sad "But my brother was stubborn like that; He would have gladly sacrificed himself if it meant everyone else would survive."

"And that's what Oz-nii did." Ada said.

A silence now dominated the room, all of them looking down. It was painful, too painful to remember the events of 10 years ago. What if they had ran away faster? What if he hidden him? What if he had spoken up? What if they had fought? There were so many if's to consider; so many possibilities that it crushed them each in every day with guilt and pain.

"We're baaaaaaaaack~!" a voice called from the door, and Gil immediately started to wonder if there was any way to avoid what was about to come.

"Welcome Home Break, Sharon-san, Oscar-jichan." Ada said, standing up and bowing.

"Thank you, Ada-chan." Sharon said, walking towards the young girl with a smile. "Ah! Raven! I did not know you were returning today. Welcome Back."

"Thank you, Sharon-san." Gil said, not looking up.

"Indeed Gil-kun~! It's such a pleasant surprise to see you coming back early." Break said, taking a sit next to Gil, not before giving a respectful bow to Jack and Ada "How did your mission go?"

The silence that followed was enough of an answer. Soon the three were back to their gloomy mood, that seemed to have lighten a little with the arrival of their companions.

"Ah, enough with the sad faces!" Oscar said, smiling "Gil has returned after being a month away from us! I say this calls for a welcome home party! We bought some grape juice that will be perfect to celebrate!"

"Ah, yes, Oscar-jichan's famous grape juice." Jack said, laughing "Yes, I do believe we need a party. I've been studying too much, and need some time to relax!"

"Yes, Yes! We need to celebrate~!" Break said "Gil-kun's return and to the final stage of our ten year plan!"

This, of course, grabbed the attention of everyone in the room.

"Break…" Gil begun "Does that… Does that mean…?"

"Indeed!" he said, voice cheerful, grabbing a lollipop from his pocket and then raising, as if ready to toast "Vessalius Royal Family… Your days of hiding are coming to an end!"

* * *

"So this is Sabrie?" a girl asked looking around. Her companion, walking a few feet ahead of her, was wearing a brown hood covering most of his face, much like her own.

"Yep!" he said cheerfully "It's a beautiful city, don't you think? It's got beautiful buildings! I remember the library, it was sooooo big that…"

"Does it have good meat?" The girl interrupted.

"What?"he stopped and turned around. From what was visible of his face it was easy to make out a curious expression.

"Meat." The girl repeated. "Do they have good meat? Because I'm hungry! You are the poorest human I've ever met! We've been travelling for months yet you have no money! We had to steal food and many times is not even good meat!"

"Well, excuse me for being broke." He said, with a pout. But then smiled. "When I lived in the castle we had great meat! Our cook was amazing but nothing was as good as the pastries! "

"Good meat?"

"Oh yes!" Oz said "For lunch and dinner! They were soooo good! Cooked, well tempered, and sooo tasty! It was just amazing! Other royal families from around the world tried to buy our cook, but he always stayed by our side!"

"Meat…" the girl repeated to herself, her mouth watering as her companion continued to describe the flavorful meals he had once consumed.

In a second her pace picked up, no longing dragging her feet through the streets. She started to run, being guided more by her nose than her sense of direction, leaving her companion behind.

"Hey! Come back! That's not the way we're suppose to go!" the boy said, his eyes showing great amusement "Hey! Alice! Wait for me!"

**So yeah…. Sort of short chapter compared to my usual writing… Nice to meet you everyone! I'm Smart Angel, and some of you may know me as the co-writer of True Savior! This is my first Pandora Hearts Fanfic without Total Alias, so please forgive me if they are OOC! Truly, Total Alias is the one who saves our fanfics from being like something completely different! I considered letting her proof read this, but then gave up on the idea considering this is a present for her! I didn't want to ruin the surprise, so yeah… Thank you so much for being an amazing friend, Total Alias! This is the fanfic I told you about lond ago and I finally decided to write it! **

**Please, read, review and **_**Tell me how I can improve!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Do NOT own Pandora Hearts. If I did, GilxOz would be cannon!**

**This chapter is dedicated to my two great friends Total Alias (this fic is all dedicated to you, actually! She was the one who motivated me to write it and to continue this chapter) and Nee-chan, who has been fangirling over GilXOz with me for a loooong time, XDDD**

"Ahhh…" Oz said as he let himself fall on the twin bed "Thank God we had a few coins to spare, or else we would be sleeping in the streets."

The girl just grunted in response, still chewing on her piece of meat. Oz peered through his left eye and smiled at Alice's lack of attention. Maybe it was too much to ask to have her focused when a piece of juicy meat was in the room.

Sighing, the boy stood up and took off his hood, throwing it at the desk. He walked towards the balcony and looked down to the streets. Was his memory failing him, or did Sabrie change a lot during the past decade? Given, a decade was a long time, and he only went out of the castle when Jack and Gil agreed to sneak out (well, more like Jack agreed and both of them forced poor Gil to come along) but still…

It didn't look like Sabrie. The buildings were the same, but there was something wrong. The atmosphere, the people… They weren't the same. The Sabrie he knew, the one he admired from up in his room was lively, beautiful. He used to sit by the balcony, mesmerized by the white walls and the lights coming from the streets, reminding him of the beautiful night sky.

But now everything looked… Not dull, but different. It was not unhappiness, but danger that took over the Capital of this coutry. Like the people were divided into three. Two groups against each other, and the third made of innocent bystanders, who, while not involved in the battle, still took great damage.

His beautiful Sabrie wasn't like this before… Was it? No, not that he remembered. Was he just oblivious to it all? He always knew the royal family had strong supporters, but they also had people who hated them just as much. Nightrays and Baskerville were the names that instantly popped into his head.

Still…. His gut told him there was something more. No doubt _that_ night was the trigger to this confusion… He just needed to find out what happened after that; find out what happened during the 10 years he was gone.

'_And find him as well_' Oz couldn't help but think. Yes, find him as well…

"Oz?" Alice called. Oz turned around to find the cute dark haired creature standing behind him, a confused expression on her face. He smiled. Like that she looked like an innocent little girl not at all like a... "What happened?"

"Nothing. " He smiled. "I was just admiring the city! It's sooo beautiful, don't ya think Alice-chan~?"

"For someone who says nothing, you sure seem to have a lot in your mind." Alice smirked "What? The city isn't as beautiful as you remembered?"

"That's… Not it." He sighed "It's different, but still beautiful… It's hard to explain."

"So…" she looked at him curious "Is something wrong?" she then turned to look at the castle "We know they are not there. We asked around before arriving."

"Yeah, I know." Oz also turned to look at the castle. It was still beautiful, but old, destroyed; a ruin in the middle of Sabrie. No one had lived there in a decade, he imagined. The once brilliant white walls were now covered with mother nature's work. The paintings and intricate designs were gone, and the shine it once had, the happiness and cheerfulness had vanish during that night. "But they are here. I'm sure of it. Ada and Jack would never risk going anywhere else. I know it is hard to believe with what you heard about us so far but… We had allies. We had friends, and I'm sure they would have helped."

"And you really believe they are here?"

"Sabrie has lots of places to hide Alice-chan!" he smiled "People say the Head-Hunter used to live in underground passages right here in the city; passages that even my family knew nothing of!" He laughed at the blank expression he got the girl. Of course, Oz thought, Alice knew nothing of their world and therefore nothing of their urban legends. "Still, if they are not here, I'm sure we will find a person who knows where my family is. Then they will take us to them."

"If you say so, Oz…" She says, and then looks at him "But if you want to find them, better do it fast. You don't have much time here you know. You can't afford to play Hide-and-Seek."

Oz raised a hand to his chest, clutching the material of the shirt while looking down with a sad smile.

"I know…"

* * *

The next day the two were already walking through the streets before sun-rise. Sabrie is a big city, Oz had said the night before, and they needed to search everywhere. It would be best to start early. Dressed in the same clothes as before, the two left without even eating breakfast.

Explaining the reason why at this moment Oz was trying to get Alice away from the meat market.

"Come on Alice!" he said, while holding the girl. "We don't have money to buy that!"

"But I'm hungry!" The girl yelled back.

"Well, unless you want to sleep in the streets tonight we can't afford it!"

In response, Alice quickly turned around and pushed the boy down. As soon as she was free she ran back towards the store, nose taking in the sweet scent of dead flesh as her mouth watered. So many choices… So many fine choices… Oz wasn't kidding when he said Sabrie's meat was the best in the entire country. From what little she could taste yesterday, and by the smell and look of these ones on display, it would probably take her about 100 years before she found better meat.

She made a mental note that once her revenge was complete, she would visit Sabrie many and many times.

"Hungry little girl?" the store keeper asked, snapping Alice off her Meat Wonderland and back to the cruel reality. "We have the finest meat in all of Sabrie! And by the looks of it, ya seem to understand a lot about meat! Gotta a good eye, I'll tell ya that missy."

"Good nose!" corrected Alice proudly.

"A very good nose." Agreed the man. "Why don't ya take a pick? Chose anything ya like and I'll give a special discount since ya so pretty and know so much about fine meat!"

"Sorry, but we have no money." Oz said, standing up. Really, was Alice going to fall for such a cheap trick? You would expect more of her. Oh well, guess she is too innocent to the human ways. Kind of ironic, Oz thought "We can't afford it, even with the special discount."

"Running short on money lad?" the man said "Why don't you ask mommy for some? I'm sure your sister will be happy if you do! It's a big brother's job to take of their sister, ain't it?"

Normally Alice would have protested at the insinuation that she was younger than Oz. She was alive before the kid's great grandparents were even born! But right now she was too distracted.

"Mum is dead sir." Oz said with a smile. "Died 10 years ago. It's just me and Alice-chan." He looked at Alice, who didn't seem to be paying attention to the conversation "And since we need beds to sleep tonight, we can't spend money on expensive meat."

"This meat aint expensive boy!" the man said, outraged "its normal price for the finest meat in Sabrie!"

"Well, Sabrie is an expensive place." He argued back with a sly smile. "Besides, how do I know that these are the _'finest meat'_ in Sabrie?" Oz, Alice could tell, had attempted to imitate the man's voice. "How do I know you are not trying to trick my hungry, innocent little sister?"

"Why ya little…!" as the words flew out of his mouth he raised his hand, ready to hit the boy when a man who was standing nearby stopped him.

"Enough, you know the boy is telling the truth." Said the other man "You overprice these meats way too much. The kids are orphans. They do not have money to buy it, stop tempting them. It's cruel."

Oz nodded and thanked the man. Then he turned to Alice, who seemed to have ignored the entire conversation. Well… Maybe this would be a good time to…

"Say…" Oz started "My mum used to live here in Sabrie, and she told me and my sister about it…" He put his hands behind his back, trying to act as innocent as possible "But it seems so different from her stories. Ya see, sis and I were hoping to find some distant relative here in the city but..."

"Why are you surprised?" Asked the second man "After the revolution and the Nightray and Baskerville took power, is no wonder things are different."

Oz tried to keep his expression neutral. Yes, he knew that once the Vessalius were overthrown all those years ago the Nightray and the Baskerville were chosen to share the power, but still… When he came back he half hoped that Uncle would have been able to handle the rest of the revolution. Maybe get some allies together and fight back but… Apparently, he had been wrong.

It hurt to know his family had lost it all while he was gone, and he didn't do anything to help.

"Well, yeah." Oz agreed "A lot of people died in the revolution, but still… Mum used to say everyone was so united and…"

"It's all 'cause of those bastard Vessalius supporters!" said the Meat Man, now ignoring his customers and joining the conversation once more "As if one revolution aint enough for this country!"

"Vessalius supporters?" Well, that was new information… It certainly did sound promising.

"People who are unhappy with the way the change of power happened kid." Explained the other man.

"Don't give 'em excuses!" said the Meat Man "I didn't like the way it happened either! Killing children like that? Ya know how many people suffered? But is in the past and…"

"They still believe that there are some members of the Royal family alive." Said the other man, as if meat dude hadn't spoken at all "Since no bodies were ever found, they claim at least one of them must have escaped. They believe they are hiding, waiting for the right moment to take back the country."

"Do you think it is true?" asked Oz.

"Who knows? I don't have a side." The man explained "But the truth is that Sabrie is divided. Those who want the Vessalius back and those who were against them during since the revolution. That's what you are seen kid."

"I see…" Oz nodded "So that is what is happening."

That certainly was useful information. He knew his body hadn't been found because, obviously, here he was but… If none of the others were found either, than there was still a chance they were still alive. And if they had supporters…

Okay, plan formed. As soon as they got out of this store they would search for the Vessalius supporters. Maybe he could visit one of the Houses that supported the royal family during the revolution. Certainly they would recognize him. And while there was a chance they didn't know where the rest of his family were, maybe they could give him some clues.

Yes, that was a good plan, Oz decided, looking at his pocket watch. If everything went okay, then maybe they could crash in one of the supporter's houses and get a somewhat decent meal. That would be good. He was starving, after all, and he had no idea how long Alice could go without eating.

"Hey!" The Meat Man's annoying voice brought Oz back to reality. "What are ya doing little girl?"

Oz looked over at Alice and his eyes almost popped out of his head. While distracted with the conversation and his plan, Oz forgot to keep an eye on his hungry companion; his hungry companion that had meat right in front of her eyes, swinging from left to right just like you would do it to a dog before giving them a well deserving treat. And while Alice was certainly not a dog, her patience is… let's just say it is below average.

Which is why right now she had a piece of big chunky meat inside her mouth, the juice of spilling all over her face. Her eyes were shining with delight as the taste of the way-too-big piece of meat filled her small mouth.

The blond boy could feel the color leaving his face. The cold shiver filed his insides as he unconsciously touched his pockets, realizing they didn't nearly have enough money to pay for _that _meat.

'_Really, Alice?'_ He wanted to ask. '_Out of all the meats in this place you had to choose the most expensive one?_ '

While a lot of things changed in Sabrie, Oz was pretty sure that not paying for a product was still frowned upon; as well as illegal.

"Ya better have money to pay for that!" said the Meat an.

'_Shut up potato nose! I'm busy eating my meat! Call me little again and I'll show ya the power of the Great B-Rabbit!'_ Is probably what Alice wanted to say. But with the chewing and the meat inside her mouth and the pieces and juices flying everywhere with each movement of her jaw, it sounded like complete gibberish.

Not waiting to give Meat Man another chance to answer, Oz grabbed Alice's hand and ran out. So much for the perfect plan.

* * *

Ada smiled as she looked over the fruits. While times were certainly hard since the revolution, she liked that she could walk around Sabrie on her own. Well, Jack was by her side, but before there would also be many guards accompanying the, at the time, three royal kids.

She looked back to Jack to see that he was cheerfully chatting with some lady. A smile appeared on her lips. Typical Jack. She can only imagine how it was like when Oz and him sneaked to the city.

'_You're too young to go Ada.'_ Oz would say '_But don't worry! Once you get a tiny bit older you can sneak out with Gil, Jack and I! I promise!'_

Unfortunately, that never happened. Before she became old enough Oz…

Shaking her head, trying to forget those awful thoughts, Ada continued looking at the fruits. Gil must have had his hands full when the two princes would sneak out. She can only imagine his face growing red as he tried to ask them to be careful and oh, how they must have flirted with girls, and maybe even teased Gil a little…

There, her smile was back. The trick was to only remember the good times, not the bad. This made everything worth it.

"So…" Jack appeared by her side, smiling "How about we go to the bookstore after here? I heard they have some new occult books that may interest you." And he winked, causing his little sister to blush.

But before she could answer, two strangers bumped into her. Luckily Jack caught her, and she was able to see as the two, bodies covered with a brown cloth, ran desperately away. Behind them came a man, swinging a meat hammer, yelling them to stop.

She blinked surprised; about to shrug it all off and continue looking at the fruits when Jack started running after them.

"Jack?" She asked as her older brother disappeared in the crowd.

* * *

Jack ran as fast as he could. He just saw a glimpse of it, but he was sure. As one of the strangers ran, his pocket watch, open, flew in the air. While it was still attached to the person's clothes, the fact that it was not in a pocket allowed Jack to get a glimpse of it.

How could so many thoughts invade his mind in less than a second? As he saw the watch all he could think was how it was simply _not possible_. It _couldn't_ be the same watch! But then he heard the melody… The melody that his best friend had composed, the melody he, The Prince Jack Vessalius, had put in the pocket watch he made for his twin brother.

Jack continued to follow them, ignoring his sister's cries to wait for her. He would apologize later, but right this is what he needed to focus on.

A one of a kind watch. One that only belonged to Oz. One that he still had it when he died.

If this person had Oz's watch… He must know… Must know where… Where his body is.

Finally, the three stopped at a dead end street. The one with the pocket watch stood in front of the other figure, holding her hand. Now that he thought about it, he was probably pulling the second figure all along.

"Now…W ill you pay for the meat you ruined, little girl?" The man asked.

"Don't call me a little girl!" the girl growled. Oddly enough, it didn't sound as intimidating as it sounded cute.

"Is that so…?" the man asked, walking closer.

And that was when Jack intervened. Placing a hand at the man's shoulder, Jack tried to pull off a smile, just like his little twin would have done in this situation. Appear calm when necessary, Oz had told him once, it is always important to convey the right emotion.

"I'm sorry. Did my cousins cause any trouble?" He asked, the words lies slipping out of his mouth naturally.

"They ruined my finest and most expensive meat!" the man yelled, now turning to Jack "And they had no money to pay for it!"

"Well… How much do they own you?" He asked, blinking innocently.

When he was told the amount, Jack did not hesitate in getting the money he was going to spend on Ada's book. He was a little regretful, but Ada would understand the circumstances for sure.

"Here." Jack said. "Now leave them alone, please."

Looking at the money, then at Jack, then at the strangers, and then back at Jack, the man nodded and walked away without saying a word. Nice guy, Jack couldn't help but think. Are there really people would run around swinging hammers at hungry children?

Speaking of children… Turning back to the two figures, Jack looked at them closely. Teenagers, probably a few years younger than Ada. If the cape was any clue, it seemed the two had been travelling for some time. Maybe orphans? Traveling over the country looking for a place to stay, probably hungry, eating what they could find and sleeping anywhere that offered warmth.

The possibilities that they knew anything about Oz was slim. But still, they had the watch. Even if they did not know what it was, maybe they found it somewhere, and that could be a clue to where Oz's body was.

Any lead was a good lead.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Jack started saying, raising his hand to calm the two, as he stepped forward slowly "I swear, I mean you no harm."

He stopped. His heart stopped, his breathing stopped… It seemed like everything stopped. At that second he couldn't hear the streets or Ada's voice as she ran towards him. He couldn't feel the feet beneath his feet or the blood flowing through his vein. God, was time even working at that moment?

Not for Jack, it wasn't. At that time his entire being was consumed by the color green. Emerald, a green so unique that Jack had only seen in the eyes of two people before: Himself and…

"Oz?"

**Yeah, I stopped here. XDDD Sorry, couldn't help myself. I know what you must be thinking: Waited so long for an updated only to have it end in a cliff hanger! Yeah, I know how much it sucks for the reader… But I'm the writer, so to me it is tons of fun. XDDD**

**Now, seriously, I am SO SORRY for the long wait. You have no idea how sorry I am! Really, I hope no other chapters take this long to be updated! But you see, I had to send my college applications in, and since I'm going to art school, I also had to draw, decide and organize 15 pieces for my portfolio. That is not counting the essay, resume and all that crap. Then there was the regular school work, which sucked, and guess what? For some idiotic reason my school decided to have midterms at the same time when we had to send in the applications! Bloody perfect, right? So while I had the chapter (and the fic for that matter) all planed up, I could not find the time to write it. That plus some personal family problems caused me to have some writer's block.**

**But I'm back! And soon you shall have the next chapter!**

**REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Do not own Pandora Hearts. If I did, Chapter 59 would have ended VERY DIFFERENTLY. **

"Oz…" He repeated again, stepping forward. He could feel Ada's gaze upon him, clearly not understanding what was going on. The other hooded stranger did the same thing as his little sister, and the two twins only stared at each other.

Then there a was a laugh. The hooded boy with the pocket watch was smiling and laughing. If Jack had any doubt that this boy was his twin brother, it all disappeared when he heard the laughter. Ada now gasped, finally realizing what was going on, and the boy pulled the hood down, revealing his usual Cheshire grin.

"You've grown up so much Jack! I bet ya are a success with the Ladies, right?" the boy winked, and Jack couldn't help but laugh. After 10 years of not seeing each other, his brother was still the same.

"Of course." He smiled, joining on the joke "They all fall for my charm so easily~!"

"Ah, Brother Jack!" Oz continued, eyes shining in fake admiration and then bowed in respect "You are such a dandy man! You must teach me all your tricks!"

"Of course, you shall be my dear pupil." Jack said, making exaggerated gestures with his hands as his brother continued with the fake worship.

Soon they were both laughing, and it was almost as if they had never been apart. Ada watched the scene with awe, and smiled once her Jack offered Oz a hand, and the latter got up and stood up straight.

Now they could have a really good look at him. Nothing had changed much, to be quite honest. Even his clothes, dirty, ripped, were the exact same from last time they saw him. His blonde hair had not grown and inch, and he wasn't any taller than that day. His eyes still sparkled with mischief, and his voice was still one that seemed to carried that spell that just made you want to listen to him, something he shared with his brother Jack. The one thing that changed, Ada noticed, was the fact that he had no apparent open wounds or scars from the time they were kept as prisoners.

"Oz…" A voice interrupted the cheerful reunion, and Oz was reminded of his fellow companion, who was currently glaring at the two strangers like a scared little kitty.

"Ah! So sorry Alice!" he said, smiling, and then pulled her by the hand until she was by his side "This is Alice, she is my travelling companion. We've become great friends!"

The hood was pulled down to reveal a beautiful young girl, appearing the same age as Oz, with dark brown hair and red clothing. She looked at them, distrusting, and then at Oz, as if trying to tell him something.

"It's okay Alice." Oz said, smiling still "These are my siblings! Right here is Jack, my brother, and there… " he turned his eyes towards Ada and his smile seemed melancholic "That young lady there is little Ada. I told you all about them, remember?" the girl looked at them, analyzing their faces "They sure grew up a lot."

"And you didn't grow up one bit." Jack's smile now disappeared, and his face was reflected his curiosity. "how come?"

"It's a looooong story." Oz waved the question away, and then smiled "But I'm glad you two are okay, I was… Really worried."

Ada couldn't hold herself together anymore. At those words, she started to cry and hugged her beloved big brother as tight as could. _He_ was worried about _them_? That wasn't right! They were the ones who escaped! Oz gave his life to save them, he was the one who stayed behind…

Ada still remembered, being put in a carriage, her big brother Jack and Uncle Oscar tied and blindfolded, and her big brother in standing in the house, with a sad smile on his face. She wasn't old enough to understand the situation, but she knew the people who took them away from their home were bad people. And as the carriage left, Oz stayed there, with one of the bad men behind him, a gun pointed to his head. Oz never stopped smiling until he thought Ada was too far to see him.

"I have an important mission for you, Captain Ada." He had said, while big Brother Jack and Uncle Oscar were being tied "Take care of the two of them, okay? Once you are far away enough from here, untie their hands… They should take care of the rest from there." He then smiled "I'm counting on you!"

Captain Ada… They didn't understand much of military titles, but before the incident, Oz and Jack liked to pretend that all four of them were a group with an important mission: Make the adults' lives as hard as possible. She was Commander Ada. Jack was a General, Gil a Lieutenant, even though he protested when the twins decided his ranking, and Oz said he wanted to be called Colonel Oz.

Their "missions" were always silly: Steal the dessert from kitchen, escape their lessons, or just play a prank on the other servants. It was mainly a way to keep the four children entertained in that big castle. Oz and Jack would always be the ones giving the orders, and every now and again they would be pretending to be doing some heroic sacrifice to save the others, accompanied by some laughter and Gil's desperate cries, saying that if anyone had to be sacrificed, it should be him!

But at that moment Ada knew that this was not a joke, and took her mission, knowing fully well that Oz was trusting her with the lives of their family. She did as told, and when the other two Vessalius were free, they fought against the bad men who were in the carriage with them, and quickly rode to where they knew they would have allies.

So when Oz spoke again, in a whisper only to her, she couldn't help but cry more.

"I knew I could trust you." And she stepped back a little only to see him smiling at her, just like that day. She cried more and he comforted her, just like Jack had done many times in the previous decade.

* * *

"So this is where you have been hiding." Oz said, as they entered the mansion. While still in the Capital, the mansion stood separated from the main buildings, surrounded by a huge forest that made it easy to lose yourself, even if you did know the way to the mansion. Isolated, you could only find it if you already knew where it was, which made a perfect hiding spot for the Vessalius. Oz remembered visiting the place once, long time ago, when they were introduced to Sharon.

"The Rainsworth Household have always been our allies." Jack nodded "After we escaped that day, they let us live here, hiding and protecting us from the outside world." A pause "As far as anyone knows, we are dead."

"That is not completely true." Alice said, now that she trusted the other two enough to let her companion be near them "Some people think that you are still alive."

"That's right! Meat guy said that, didn't he?" Oz said, thoughtfully "He said a third of Sabrie believes that there are Vessalius alive and want them back in power, and another third that were opposed us during the revolution."

"And the last third is neutral." Ada agreed "We have acquired many supporters throughout the year, Oz-nii."

"Supporters…" Oz said "Supporters of what, exactly? Of our family?"

"Not quite." A new voice spoke, and of them turned to see a white haired man, with one red eye, standing at the entrance "It is a pleasure to see you, Prince Oz." But before Oz could answer, he spoke again "Though it is also a surprise."

"I do tend to have that effect on people." Oz said, smiling.

"I bet you do. We're having some tea, why don't you come and join us? We have lots and lots of things to discuss~!"

They walked into the dining room, where to Oz's surprise, Oscar and Sharon were sitting. Their facial expression as Oz walked in was priceless; something that Oz would never be able to recreate no matter how many pranks he pulled.

"What's wrong?" Oz said, smiling and sitting down across from his uncle, Alice following his lead "You look like you've seen a Ghost Oscar-jiichan!"

"Not a ghost, but something equally amazing." Oscar says "Break left the table without finishing his cake!"

"Is that rare?" Oz asked, grabbing a slice for himself.

"Oh yes, very." Oscar said "It is something that only my amazing nephew would be capable of doing."

"Well, I am the best!" Oz said laughing, bur then smiled "It's nice to see you again Oscar-jiichan."

"Not as nice to have you here with us again, Oz." Oscar replied, and by this point everyone had taken a seat at the table.

"I know what you mean." Oz nodded in agreement, then looked around, with a frown present on his face "Is Gil…"

"He is fine." Sharon finally spoke, sipping a bit of her tea "Gil was found by Break and brought to our house many years ago, Oz-kun. He is currently out in the city, but will be back shortly."

Oz smiled at hearing this… So Gil was okay after all… And he would finally see him again, he would finally come back just like he promised all those years ago. Given, he was ten years late, but a promise was a promise.

He would never admit it out loud, but all this time the golden hair boy had occupied most of his thoughts. He could guess what had happened to his family after they parted, but had no idea what could have happened with Gil. Had he disobeyed his order and came out of hiding while those men were still in the castle? Had he died during the revolution many years ago? Was he still alive? And if so, did he still believe that Oz would come to him? Had he managed to find his brother, sister and uncle? Or was he all alone, living like many orphan children who lost their families during that brutal year?

The possibilities were endless, and Oz always hoped that Gil had indeed found his way back to their family, and was alive, waiting for him. Knowing that soon he would be able to see those golden eyes again appeased the blonde haired boy.

"Now, I think some answers need to be given." Break spoke, stirring his tea with a lollipop "Who wishes to go first?" he turned his eye towards Oz "My Prince? Do you wish to explain how you escaped death? I bet it is a wonderful tale~"

"Maybe later." Oz said, shrugging "I think it will be better when Gil is here, so I don't have to tell the same story twice. Besides, it isn't much really. I did nothing for the past 10 years. But you guys seemed to have come up with some pretty interesting games."

"Indeed we have!~" Break said "It is called _"Pa-n-do-ra: The Return of the Vessalius"_"

"Pandora?" Alice asked, looking at Oz for an answer. When he shook his head, indicating he did not know the meaning of the word either, she looked at Jack. For some reason the girl had took a liking on the man, and for the past few hours they knew each other, was much more friendly towards him than Ada.

"I came up with the name." Sharon says "It is an organization, which it's sole purpose is to eliminate those who committed horrendous crimes during the revolution and give our country back to it's rightful ruler: Jack Vessalius."

"You see, Oz-kun…" Break took over the explanation "The Nightray family and Baskerville took power after those events, all those years ago, and things have not been going very well."

"I heard from some people." Oz said, nodding.

"Well, we believe that the Vessalius family should have stayed ruler of our nation, since they trained their successors to be rulers and they know all of the country's secret. We want the Royal Family back, and we want Jack to be our new ruler, just like it was meant to be." Sharon continued "So through the past decade we have been reaching for old allies that also went into hiding after the Revolution, and anyone who would like to support our cause."

"That is Pandora, Oz-Kun~" Break said "The Organization that is intends to return this country to your family."

"So… There are others? Besides you two that actually know they are alive?" Oz asked, eyes wide. When he found his brother and sister never had he expected that an entire organization had been created during the time he had been away, and that said organization was planning a new revolution. He came back…

"Supporters all across the nation know." Break answered "We are, actually already fighting some of the one who oppose us, and winning~! This… Call it a civil war, has been going on for almost as long as you've been gone, and now is about to come to a closing."

He came back because he promised Gil. That was the only reason. When the offer presented itself, he thought of his best friend, and how he locked him inside that closet promising to be back soon. It would be cruel to not keep it.

But now… Now he was faced with an entirely new situation. It wasn't just that their family was not in power anymore. A another revolution, another battle, was about to happen, just when he came back. Supporters all around the country were giving their lives so Jack could rule them, because they admired and trusted Jack… They were fighting a way against the Nightray and Baskerville, not an official one, but a war all the same.

He came back because of Gil… But now… Now he knew he should stay for as long as possible for other reasons.

"So, with that explained…" Break said, stretching "Care to share us your story? And who is your lovely companion?"

"Shut up clown!" Alice yelled, frowning.

"Well, actually…" Oz started… Oh great, how was he going to explain this? "It's very complicated and…"

And before he could finish, they heard the main door opening. A heavy sigh and heavy boots followed it, and soon a man, tall, with dark sea-weed like hair appeared at the door. He didn't seem at first to notice the two guests, and from there made his way into the kitchen, not looking up. It was clear he was lost in his thoughts; thoughts about his master, thoughts about revenge, thoughts about how he would never see him again…

"Ah… Gil-kun is back~!" Break said with amusement.

And at this moment Oz stood up, his eyes not tearing away from the man. Everyone in the room was quiet, waiting for the next move. They all knew, even Alice knew, that Gil was important to Oz and vice-versa. The two had been waiting for this moment for ten years and now…

"Gil…" Oz called, and the man turned around.

No, he couldn't possibly have heard it… It was impossible, simply unlikely. Oz was dead! Jack told him all that happened that night! And even if he had survived, his voice wouldn't sound the same. He would have aged, his voice would be deeper and…

But as he turned around, those thoughts stopped there. The impossible was materialized in front of him. There stood Oz Vessalius, not looking a day older than when he last saw him.

"Oz?"

**Yeah, I'm ending it here. XDDD Sorry it took me so long to update! I know I promised one a month but… Okay, truth to be told, for some weird reason that I haven't figured out yet my computer is not receiving any e-mail unless it is a PM. I'm serious! So after updating I didn't get one review in my e-mail box! I was so sad! And a week ago or so I finally came to the conclusion that no, it was not possible that not only I hadn't received one review (even if it was "you suck") but not one of the fanfics that I have on my alert list (and looking it up right now, that is over 100 fanfics, not counting authors alert) haven't been updated since January!**

**So yeah… I don't know what is going on… But then I read all the reviews I got and I was so happy! You guys are actually this! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm serious, it is thanks to you guys that this chapter is up!**

**For some reason all of this chapters are being one the short side. _ Usually my chapters are around 10 pages long, but these are being 5 to 7 pages… I dunno what is going on… Maybe it is because it is only the beginning? Or because I'm not yet used to Pandora Hearts Characters… I hope the chapters get better with time!**

**Please Review!**

**And again, this is dedicated to Total Alias, who told me to write it when I started telling her the idea. **


End file.
